String Theory: A Puppetmaster's Guide *NEW*

@aerix, could you explain the difference / usage between the OD and OD bruise set?

Valoredge body's Bone Crusher doesn't benefit from TP Bonus at all, so multiattack is the only thing that boosts its damage by any significant amount (aside from VIT). The DA also helps with TP speed and synergizes very well with the massive STP from Inhibitors.

Overdrive VE is also generally used in content where an OD Sharpshot maton would have trouble surviving, so the DT- on the Taeon contributes to it being a much tankier setup while still dishing out decent damage.

It's nowhere close to a VE/SS's damage potential, but it can still take down stuff like VD Ambu Poroggo, Lilith N-D, certain Geas Fete or UNMs etc.

Thanks for the explaination.

So you're saying the taeon helps a lot with the -dt (survivability) instead of herc with the tradeoff of a bit less damage output?

At the moment I don't have a herc set to test with, but i'm really happy with my taeon and the max augs were easier then i thought.

Would be nice to have some numbers with herc / taeon sets.

Also think that string theory could be updated with an ws set based on taeon.

What augments for taeon set? ACC/DA/DT?

Yessir

According to some parsing I did last year STP Herc loses to Taeon for DPS in pretty much any situation where you have OD with Inhibitors or a solid Companion's Roll up. STP Herc wins when you have no special buffs contributing to a maton's TP speed.

Matons just don't use their WSs efficiently enough to WS as soon as it hits 1k to make gear STP that powerful, especially since DA also increases white damage (which has become very decent thanks to Magniplugs). And unless you get godly augments you'll also generally be missing a lot of Pet: Acc/Atk on that Herc compared to alternatives.

Aerix or anyone else have a Lilith D or VD video I can watch?

I’ve seen mention of PUP solos but no strat or video.

Thanks!

Haven't attempted anything higher than Normal yet, though D might be possible. VD seems unlikely due to OD running out.

Rolls might make it possible, but then it's not much of a solo anymore.

Been spamming Up In Arms and looking at 60 cap gear. Aside from AF and Shepherd's Chain, is there anything else that's even half-assed usable?

You don't even need 60 cap gear for this. I go in with my 99 gear and let level sync do its magic.

5 min kills on average.

I realize that, I just figured if I'm on 60 cap and there was gear available, I might as well use it.

What about this set that i drawn before i knew i could just win naked

ItemSet 370848

Oh nice, thanks. I missed the mantle. The Fidelity Earring needs a BST in the party so that's out. The Affinity says you need a PUP in the party, do you know if it works if you're solo PUP? Never thought of Salvage pieces either. Droprate sucks on on the Chain when you actually want it.

Yeah, both need another member party. but not many options with pet anyway. could just use some master pieces probably

Herder's Subligar and Puppetry Torque are also good options for legs/neck, as well as Aega's Doublet if you want more accuracy over the hp (which I pseronally opt for due to the ink jet move).

Bean Daifuku sports 3% haste, defense (will probably net somewhere around +20 def at level 60 I think, depending on your attachments/maneuvers iirc) and some accuracy. Rolanberry Daifuku has accuracy and attack.


AFAIK it doesn't work if you're solo, but I don't have one to test with.

Eh, to me there's no real point in the inventory- for the very minor gains at 60cap. I'm not gonna give up several inventory spots to win Up In Arms 12 seconds faster.

I do take my lv40 Turbo Animator out, and if you have Shepherd's Chain anyway that makes sense to use. Otherwise, I'm totally fine with level syncing whatever.

The other character I spam it on has an abundance of inventory since he's only a pocket THf and COR. Like I said, if it's there to use, why not.

Speaking of, this new body that is login points:

https://www.bg-wiki.com/bg/Poroggo_Fleece_%2B1

thats a nice +30 water resist for a level 1 All Jobs cloak.

Given how poor of MAB is most gear up till 99, i can see potential on this piece for any nuker till a player can use ilv gear.

Dumb question I apologize in advance!
Can anyone confirm Foire Dastanas +3 truly gives just melee accuracy and the lack of ranged accuracy is not an error?

Because I checked with /checkparam and it's actually giving me +47 (and not +42) to both Melee and Ranged Accuracy, so I'm a bit confused now °-°

Are you using this with another piece of Foire? The set gives bonuses to acc, racc, and att (if I’m not mistaken) that would account for the extra 5 not written in the text.

And if I remember correctly you are right it’s both acc and racc even though the text says otherwise.

Sorry I’m not on to check personally, would love to be on playing but RL has gotten me too busy for the past few years haha. I lurk the pup forums occasionally though.

they consolidated automaton stats. almost everything that gives acc or attack applies to ranged as well, that I know of at least

I can confirm your observation, Sechs. Pet: Accuracy on not just Foire +3 hands, but on multiple pieces for PUP that Pet: Accuracy applies to both physical and ranged accuracy.

Wow, that’s actually kind of savage. If i remember correctly ‘Elemental’ magic attack bonus + gear is an extra modifier added at the end of the magic damage calculation, so this is essentially +30%. Definitely BiS for water nukes up until iLvl. Not sure how the magic accuracy part is calculated but if it’s in any fashion in line with elemental MAB then this would pretty much single handedly floor your resist rates if you have any decent level of macc to begin with.

Pretty much all ilevel Pet gear that says it gives only Accuracy or only Attack actually applies to Ranged stats as well.

Among others, gear like Foire, Ohtas, Shulmanu Collar and even Stabilizers all give equivalent Ranged stats as well. Only the reverse isn't true, e.g. Scope attachments don't give melee accuracy.

The magic accuracy component functions in line with normal, non-elemental specific magic accuracy.

I will doublecheck later but I don't think I had any other foire pieces at the time.
Plus the set bonus is +15 (not +5)and applies to the master, not the pet, afaik?

I think we should add these information on BG-wiki btw.
Can anybody check the JP wiki to check what they say about Foire Dastanas +3?


Edit:
I checked, it says acc+42 and doesn't mention racc.
http://wiki.ffo.jp/html/29954.html
I'm really scared I might have potentially misread because I was sleep, I need to doublecheck again.

I just checked to confirm, and it seems like Animator P +1 (I don't have NQ to test) is the cause of Foire Dastanas adding +47 Acc/Racc instead of only +42.

In fact, Animator P +1 also caused Shulmanu Collar to give +22 Acc/Atk instead of +20. All other pieces of gear I tested also gave +10% more stats than what was listed on them. The test were done with and without Optic Fibers equipped, of course.

So it seems like Animator P +1 (Type II is the same) has a hidden bonus of increasing Pet stats from gear by +10%-12%, though it might just be a rounding issue in Foire's case due to how the game calculates values in 256ths. Or it just might be because those Animators give ilevels to Automatons and that somehow affects stat calculations (if anybody has a Divinator to test that would be great). Either way, it's a nice little bonus.

Animator might give an accuracy bonus expressed in % instead of fixed value, that might be the culprit.

Regardless, tried to test again, naked this time.


1) Completely naked
Acc: 552
Racc: 655

2) Foire Dastanas +3
Acc: 594
Racc: 697


Perfectly matching data and applying to both physical and ranged. That's pretty nice if you ask me, makes Foire+3 hands a more interesting piece that I gave it credit for. The "just melee acc" annoyed me so much.



Slightly Off Topic, Aerix have you ever soloed Puppet In Peril II on D/VD on PUP?
If so with which pet, which combination of attachments etc?

I'm pretty sure I did it years ago for my Pratik Earring, but I don't remember the details of how I did it. All I remember is that it took forever to kill because the boss is strong against physical.

If I were to attempt it again today I'd probably use a Trust party (with several AoE healers) along with Malignance to try to skillchain for my BLMaton.